The visit aims to implement the cooperation plan in 2019 between the two defense ministries.
General Ngo Xuan Lich, Deputy Secretary of the Central Military Commission and Defense Minister, on December 20 chaired the ceremony to welcome General Chansamone Chanyalath and his entourage.
Talks were held after the welcoming ceremony between a high-ranking Vietnamese military delegation led by General Ngo Xuan Lich and its Lao counterpart.
    |
 |
|
General Ngo Xuan Lich (R) and General Chansamone Chanyalath |
At the talks, General Ngo Xuan Lich thanked General Chansamone Chanyalath for attending the ceremony to mark the 30th anniversary of the Whole People's Defense Festive Day and the 75th founding anniversary of the Vietnam People's Army (VPA). He affirmed that the Lao guests’ visit is of great significance as it reviews the achievements of implementing the cooperation program in the period of 2015-2019, and mapped out the cooperation plans for the 2020-2024 period while contributing to further strengthening the great relationship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, States, militaries, and peoples.
Both sides informed each other of political, socio-economic, defense-security situations of each country and reviewed bilateral cooperation between the two defense ministries over the past time, and agreed on the content of cooperation in the coming year and the subsequent years.
|
|
 |
|
The two sides' delegates in a joint photo |
Accordingly, the two sides' agencies and units have effectively implemented all contents of cooperation in the Protocol and the annual cooperation plans. Noteworthy are the finalization of the bilateral cooperation mechanisms between the two defense ministries, the signing of a number of bilateral agreements on training, search and rescue activities, the organization of defense policy dialogues at the deputy ministerial level, and the border defense friendship exchanges and the promotion of delegation exchanges and twinning activities between the two countries' military units to ensure political security and social safety and order in border areas, to name just a few.
Both sides agreed to strengthen and consolidate Vietnam-Laos relations, and the special solidarity among Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia as a whole. They will focus on sharing their experiences on protecting the Party's ideological foundation and further promoting information dissemination on the great relationship, solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, States, Governments, militaries, and peoples.
Concluding the talks, the two ministers signed the Protocol on defense cooperation for the period of 2020-2024 and the 2020 Cooperation Plan.
* The same day, Vietnamese Defense Minister General Ngo Xuan Lich held talks with his Cambodian Counterpart Tea Banh, who is on a working visit to Vietnam from December 19 - 22 to attend the 30th Whole People Defense Festive Day and the 75th founding anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Army.
At the event, Lich affirmed that the Cambodian minister’s visit is important as it is the result of the cooperation between the two defense ministries during the 2015-2019 period and lays out a road-map for the following years.
Both sides shared the view that defense cooperation has brought practical benefits to both sides and become a pillar in the bilateral relations between the two countries in the past years. Many competent agencies have joined hands to effectively carry out the protocol on defense cooperation during the 2015-2019 period, and the cooperative plan between the two defense ministries this year.
They particularly highlighted political education, describing it as a significant factor in promoting the good neighborliness between the two peoples and militaries, ensuring security and safety in border areas, defeating all sabotage plots and activities of hostile forces to undermined the Vietnam-Cambodia friendship, and complete cooperative mechanisms, including the defense policy dialogue at the deputy ministerial level.
In addition, the two militaries have intensified their partnership in logistics, technology and defense industry, and obtained encouraging results in the search and repatriation of remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and advisors who sacrificed in Cambodia. Besides, more attention was paid to high-quality human resource training to meet the requirements of the armed forces in each nation in the new stage of development.
In the coming time, the two sides agreed to step up communications to raise the youths’ awareness of the friendship and solidarity between the two peoples and militaries, and to prevent hostile forces from undermining the solidarity between the two nations, among others.
Both ministries will continue improving efficiency in their cooperative mechanisms, especially the defense policy dialogue, shaping up cooperative contents, and enhancing delegation exchanges at all levels.
They will work together to ensure security and safety along the shared borderline, improve quality of military education training, and promote the search and repatriation of remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers and advisors who died in Cambodia during wartime.
General Lich and General Tea Banh signed a protocol on cooperation during the 2020-2024 period and a cooperative plan for 2020 between the two defense ministries.
Translated by Lam Anh